Founded by choreographer
Robin Antin in 1995,
the Pussycat Dolls began as a burlesque dance revue based in Los Angeles, spawned a second revue in Las Vegas, grew into an A-list phenomena with a revolving cast of guest celebrities, and eventually became a recording act with a number one dance hit. It wasn't long after launching its revue that the troupe began attracting actresses and models who wanted to become a
Pussycat Doll for a night.
Christina Aguilera,
Pamela Anderson,
Kelly Osbourne, P!nk,
Britney Spears,
Carmen Electra, and
Gwen Stefani are just some of the names who donned lingerie and pinup costumes and joined
the Dolls for their flirtatious shows. An appearance in the 2003 film
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle was followed by numerous television appearances, most with
Carmen Electra. Capitalizing on the nationwide attention and the addition of former
Eden's Crush member
Nicole Scherzinger as lead singer, the single "Don't Cha" with special guest
Busta Rhymes appeared at the beginning of 2005 and climbed to number two on the pop chart, number one on the dance chart. With help from
the Black Eyed Peas'
will.i.am and producer
Timbaland,
the Pussycat Dolls recorded their full-length debut. The A&M label released
PCD, a Top Ten hit, in the summer of 2005. In 2008 member
Carmit Bachar left to pursue a solo career while the Interscope label announced that a solo album from
Scherzinger was being put on hold after four teaser singles failed to climb the charts. Continuing on as a five-piece,
the Dolls released both the single "When I Grow Up" and the album
Doll Domination that same year. "When I Grow Up" reached the Top Ten in 16 countries. Following the release of
Doll Domination, rumors began to swirl regarding tension between the members of
the Dolls and
Scherzinger. Subsequently, by 2010, original Doll members Jessica Sutta, Kimberly Wyatt, Melody Thornton, and Ashley Roberts had left the group.
–
David Jeffries, Rovi